SCOTS are being urged to help shape a future free from the fear of cancer – by making a will.

With around 83 people diagnosed with cancer every day in Scotland*, Cancer Research UK is highlighting the power of legacy giving in helping to save lives. More than a third of Cancer Research UK’s groundbreaking work is funded by gifts left in wills, helping to turn discoveries made in the lab into better treatments for patients across the country.

Lisa Adams, Cancer Research UK spokeswoman in Scotland, said: “We want to show people of all ages the lasting gift they can leave for their loved ones and families across the UK – the incredible gift of hope.

“By leaving a donation to Cancer Research UK in their will – no matter how big or small – people across Scotland can help to write an end to cancer for future generations. It’s thanks to research that half of people diagnosed with cancer now survive. But half is not enough. There are over 200 types of cancer and we won’t stop until we find cures for them all. The moreresearch we are able to fund the sooner that day will come.

“Young people today are the generation who could see groundbreaking treatments and cures for cancer in their lifetime. But we’ll only get the knowledge and technology we need to win the fight against cancer through research.January is a good time to take stock and think about making a will, so we hope as many people as possible will take the opportunity to consider leaving a legacy gift to the charity.

“When someone writes Cancer Research UK into their will, they are helping to create a future free from the fear of cancer.”

Legacy gifts can come in all shapes and shapes. As well as traditional sums of money, a range of diverse and unique things have been left to Cancer Research UK in wills from book royalties to a stuffed parrot, a surfboard to a collection of 2,500 model buses and lorries. Gifts like these help fund the work of over 4,000 doctors, scientists and nurses who are finding new ways to prevent, diagnose and treat cancer.

But around two thirds of the UK public do not have a will. For those putting it off, 39 per cent say they feel “too young”, while 15 per cent say they find the idea of a will “depressing”**.

Last year, Cancer Research UK spent around £31 million in Scotland on research which is helping more men, women and children to survive the disease. Glasgow is home to the Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute, a thriving community of world class scientists and doctors while scientists at the Edinburgh Cancer Research UK Centre are involved in cutting edge research on new treatments designed to stop cancer spreading. Research has led to an improved understanding of the biology and causes of cancer.

For more information about leaving a gift to Cancer Research UK in your will visit cruk.org/WriteAnEndor call 0800 077 66 44 FREE for an information pack. The charity also offers a free will service for over 55s.

BOX OUT

Free Will Service for Over 55s

Cancer Research UK has partnered with solicitors across the UK to provide a free will-writing service for over 55s who want to write or update a simple will.

Advice and guidance on getting started is available at cruk.org/WriteAnEnd, including a free will Planner.

Every legacy gift will help to fund the charity’s life-saving research and write an end to cancer for generations to come.

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